Sean Carberryhttp://wrvo.org
enKabul Postcard: A Neighborhood In Transitionhttp://wrvo.org/post/kabul-postcard-neighborhood-transistion
As I've been reflecting on the past 2 1/2 years that I've spent in Kabul, it's struck me how much has and hasn't changed. People continue to flood into the city, further straining its <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/07/08/156393366/kabul-a-city-stretched-beyond-its-limits" target="_blank">infrastructure and services</a>.<p>But my neighborhood has seen mostly positive changes since I moved to it in 2012.<p>As I walk out my front door — and step over the open sewer trenches that line most of the city's streets — the most pronounced change is the pavement. When I moved in, there wasn't any.Fri, 12 Dec 2014 10:01:00 +0000Sean Carberry65510 at http://wrvo.orgKabul Postcard: A Neighborhood In TransitionForeigners Targeted In Multiple Kabul Attackshttp://wrvo.org/post/foreigners-targeted-multiple-kabul-attacks
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Foreigners+Targeted+In+Multiple+Kabul+Attacks&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1NTU5NzI4MDEyODAxNzA2NDdhODNkZg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: <p>That's the sound of a deadly attack in Kabul today amid a surge in militant violence in the Afghan capital. It comes on the very day the Afghan Parliament ratified a security agreement with the U.S. that will allow up to 10,000 U.S. troops there until they leave in 2016.Thu, 27 Nov 2014 21:23:00 +0000Sean Carberry64867 at http://wrvo.orgAfghanistan's Opium Harvest Sets New Recordhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghanistans-opium-harvest-sets-new-record
Afghanistan's opium poppy cultivation set a new record this year, according to <a href="http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghan-opium-survey-2014.pdf">an annual survey</a> released by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:37:00 +0000Sean Carberry64210 at http://wrvo.orgAfghanistan's Opium Harvest Sets New RecordWhy Divers In Bonaire Are So Eager To Kill The Beautiful Lionfish http://wrvo.org/post/why-divers-bonaire-are-so-eager-kill-beautiful-lionfish
On the wall at the Buddy Dive Resort on the Caribbean island of Bonaire there's an Old West-style poster. It sums up the feelings here about the beautiful lionfish, pictured with its plume of featherlike fins and amber and white stripes.<p>"Wanted: Dead," reads the poster.<p>The poster is an advertisement for a lionfish hunting course in Bonaire, a scuba diver's paradise off the coast of Venezuela. The surrounding reef is a kaleidoscope of corals, sponges and exotic fish.Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:29:00 +0000Sean Carberry64104 at http://wrvo.orgWhy Divers In Bonaire Are So Eager To Kill The Beautiful Lionfish Wounded In Combat, U.S. Troops Go Back For A 'Proper Exit'http://wrvo.org/post/wounded-combat-us-troops-go-back-proper-exit
Hundreds of service members and civilians from various nations lined the road to the landing zone at NATO headquarters in Kabul. They had gathered to salute the two U.S. Marines and two U.S. Army soldiers participating in Operation Proper Exit.<p>Moments later, two Blackhawk helicopters swooped in, kicking up dust and debris. The four service members disembarked and walk past the cheering audience. One soldier walks with a subtle limp.Tue, 04 Nov 2014 08:29:00 +0000Sean Carberry63791 at http://wrvo.orgWounded In Combat, U.S. Troops Go Back For A 'Proper Exit'With Marines Gone, Can The Afghan Army Hold Off The Taliban? http://wrvo.org/post/marines-gone-can-afghan-army-hold-taliban
The desert sun beat down on the U.S., British and Afghan troops gathered at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. The Marines rolled up their flag as it came down, along with the NATO and British banners.<p>With the ceremony on Sunday, the Afghan army is now in command of Camp Leatherneck and neighboring Camp Bastion, the former British base.<p>As the U.S. military presence winds down in Afghanistan, this was by far the biggest transfer yet, and it marked the end of a Marine mission here that began in 2009.Mon, 27 Oct 2014 20:38:00 +0000Sean Carberry63464 at http://wrvo.orgWith Marines Gone, Can The Afghan Army Hold Off The Taliban? Refugees Find Afghanistan Less Than Hospitablehttp://wrvo.org/post/refugees-find-afghanistan-less-hospitable
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Refugees+Find+Afghanistan+Less+Than+Hospitable&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDExMDQwMzQzMDEzNjMyMTE3MjRkNzlmNg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: <p>We often hear about the droves of refugees fleeing Afghanistan, but there are also people from places like Tajikistan, Iran and Iraq who are taking refuge in that country.Sun, 28 Sep 2014 11:36:00 +0000Sean Carberry62287 at http://wrvo.orgAfghan Presidential Rivals End Dispute — And A Long Election Seasonhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghan-presidential-rivals-end-dispute-and-long-election-season
Habemus Praesidentem: there's white smoke in Kabul – figuratively speaking.<p>And like choosing a pope, selecting Afghanistan's new president has been a long and enigmatic process. Candidate registration began on Sept. 16, 2013. The first round of voting was on April 5. The second round on June 14.<p>And now, on Sept. 21, Afghan election officials announced that Ashraf Ghani is the country's the next president. He'll succeed President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.<p>At times it wasn't clear that the election would ever be resolved.Sun, 21 Sep 2014 13:50:00 +0000Sean Carberry62051 at http://wrvo.orgAfghan Presidential Rivals End Dispute — And A Long Election SeasonNot Every Afghan Institution Is Efficient; This One Ishttp://wrvo.org/post/not-every-afghan-institution-efficient-one
There are certain sounds you don't ever want to hear in life — in Afghanistan or elsewhere. One is the sound of sirens and a fire truck pulling up outside your house.<p>But, when flames are roaring out of your garage and are lapping at the side of the house, the sirens are a welcome sound of hope.<p>It must have started, we think, when our aging generator caught fire.Wed, 17 Sep 2014 09:02:00 +0000Sean Carberry61882 at http://wrvo.orgNot Every Afghan Institution Is Efficient; This One IsAs The U.S. Draws Down, Afghan Fighting Is Heating Uphttp://wrvo.org/post/us-draws-down-afghan-fighting-heating
As U.S. and NATO troops draw down in Afghanistan, Taliban fighters are growing bolder. They have been massing in larger and larger numbers and taking on Afghan forces across the country.<p>NPR producer Sultan Faizy and I spent a recent day making calls to ordinary Afghan citizens in some of the country's hot spots.<p>First, we reached Ahmadullah, who, like many Afghans, goes by one name. He's a shopkeeper in the restive Sangin District in the southern province of Helmand. Sangin has been one of the bloodiest and most contested districts in the country.Tue, 02 Sep 2014 07:28:00 +0000Sean Carberry61216 at http://wrvo.orgAs The U.S. Draws Down, Afghan Fighting Is Heating UpBefore Leaving Afghanistan, U.S. Troops Must Declutter http://wrvo.org/post/leaving-afghanistan-us-troops-must-declutter
Sgt. 1st Class Tom Albert is with the Army's 2nd Engineers at the massive Bagram Air Field north of Kabul, and he's overseeing operation Clean Sweep here. It's a huge job, because American troops and equipment are scheduled to be out of Bagram and other bases by the end of the year.<p>The U.S.Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:21:00 +0000Sean Carberry61009 at http://wrvo.orgBefore Leaving Afghanistan, U.S. Troops Must Declutter Afghanistan Expels 'Times' Reporter Over Article About Potential Couphttp://wrvo.org/post/afghanistan-expels-times-reporter-over-article-about-potential-coup
One of the most heralded "success stories" of post-Taliban Afghanistan has been the growth of its independent media. Afghan and international news organizations in Afghanistan have largely enjoyed press freedoms rivaling those of many Western nations.<p>But today's expulsion of <em>New York Times</em> correspondent Matthew Rosenberg calls into question how much progress Afghanistan has made in terms of rule of law and press freedoms.<p>Afghanistan's attorney general's office ordered Rosenberg out after he refused to reveal anonymous sources for a story published Tuesday.Thu, 21 Aug 2014 14:26:00 +0000Sean Carberry60709 at http://wrvo.orgAfghanistan Expels 'Times' Reporter Over Article About Potential CoupSomeday, Afghanistan Will Get A New Presidenthttp://wrvo.org/post/someday-afghanistan-will-get-new-president
Afghans voted for a president on April 5. Then they cast ballots June 14 in a runoff between the top two candidates. Now all 8 million votes from that second round are being audited, a laborious process that includes daily arguments, occasional fistfights and yet another deadline that seems to be slipping away.<p>While this is moving at a snail's pace, at least the process hasn't broken down completely.Mon, 11 Aug 2014 17:31:00 +0000Sean Carberry60240 at http://wrvo.orgSomeday, Afghanistan Will Get A New PresidentAfghan Brides Dress To Impress, Fueling An Unlikely Business Boom http://wrvo.org/post/afghan-brides-dress-impress-fueling-unlikely-business-boom
Afghans live in one of the world's poorest countries — but you wouldn't know that from their lavish wedding ceremonies. Families sell possessions and borrow money <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/11/30/247653496/crashing-an-afghan-wedding-no-toasts-but-lots-of-cheesy-music">to rent expensive wedding halls for hundreds of guests</a>.Sun, 10 Aug 2014 09:14:00 +0000Sean Carberry60189 at http://wrvo.orgAfghan Brides Dress To Impress, Fueling An Unlikely Business Boom The Murky Motives Of The Afghan Soldier Who Shot A U.S. General http://wrvo.org/post/murky-motives-afghan-soldier-who-shot-us-general
The Afghan soldier who fatally shot a U.S. major general on Tuesday had no sympathy for the Taliban, and his motives for the shooting are far from clear, according to his fellow soldiers.<p>Afghan officials have identified the attacker as Rafiqullah, who, like many Afghans, goes by one name. He opened fire on a delegation of NATO officials who were visiting the Marshal Fahim Military Academy outside Kabul. He killed Maj. Gen. Harold Greene and wounded 15 other NATO service members who were visiting the compound.Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:18:00 +0000Sean Carberry60065 at http://wrvo.orgThe Murky Motives Of The Afghan Soldier Who Shot A U.S. General Gunman Kills American General In Shooting At Afghan Facilityhttp://wrvo.org/post/gunman-kills-american-general-shooting-afghan-facility
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Gunman+Kills+American+General+In+Shooting+At+Afghan+Facility&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA0NjY4NzQ2MDEyOTc4NzIzMThmMjJkMg001)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>In Afghanistan, today a man suspected to be an Afghan army officer opened fire on Afghan and NATO troops. He killed an American two-star general, the highest-ranking U.S. officer killed in Afghanistan.Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:17:00 +0000Sean Carberry59981 at http://wrvo.orgAfghanistan Officials To Audit Votes From June Electionhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghanistan-officials-audit-votes-june-election
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Afghanistan+Officials+To+Audit+Votes+From+June+Election&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxODM0MzkwMDEyMTY4NDg0NTBmYjQyZQ004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ARUN RATH, HOST: <p>Afghanistan was scheduled to inaugurate its new president yesterday. But the ceremony has been postponed indefinitely. The country has been in a political crisis since candidate Abdullah Abdullah declared the June election rigged in favor of opponent Ashraf Ghani.Sun, 03 Aug 2014 13:22:00 +0000Sean Carberry59851 at http://wrvo.orgAfghan Civilians Suffer During Violent Yearhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghan-civilians-suffer-during-violent-year
There is renewed fighting in Kandahar as the outcome of the Afghan presidential election remains uncertain. And a new U.N. report says civilian casualties are up significantly from a year ago.Wed, 09 Jul 2014 09:06:00 +0000Sean Carberry58578 at http://wrvo.orgAfghan Election Numbers Come With A Warning: Results Not Finalhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghan-election-numbers-come-warning-results-not-final
Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>From NPR News this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel. Today, Afghans are one step closer to knowing who their next president will be. More than three weeks after voters went to the polls, election officials announced that candidate Ashraf Ghani has a wide lead. But Ghani is not out of the woods yet. The election process now enters an appeals phase that is sure to be contentious before the final results are announced on July 24.Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:53:00 +0000Sean Carberry58484 at http://wrvo.orgPreliminary Results Show Ghani Winning Afghan Presidencyhttp://wrvo.org/post/preliminary-results-show-ghani-winning-afghan-presidency
Transcript <p>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: <p>Preliminary results are out for the run-off in Afghanistan's presidential elections. And the winner seems to be former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani. His opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, was considered the front-runner after winning 45 percent of the vote in the first round back in April. Now Ashraf Ghani appears to be winning with almost a million more votes than Abdullah. NPR's Sean Carberry joins us from Kabul. Good morning.<p>SEAN CARBERRY, BYLINE: Hi, Renee.<p>MONTAGNE: Hi. And there's a little bit of a delay here.Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:17:00 +0000Sean Carberry58457 at http://wrvo.orgAfghanistan's Slow-Motion Election Strains A Fragile Countryhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghanistans-slow-motion-election-strains-fragile-country
The 2000 U.S. presidential election between George Bush and Al Gore went down to the wire, involved close scrutiny of the ballots and took weeks to sort out.Wed, 02 Jul 2014 07:39:00 +0000Sean Carberry58223 at http://wrvo.orgAfghanistan's Slow-Motion Election Strains A Fragile CountryU.N. Official Calls For Calm In Afghanistan After Claims Of Election Fraudhttp://wrvo.org/post/un-official-calls-calm-afghanistan-after-claims-election-fraud
Transcript <p>ARUN RATH, HOST: <p>In Afghanistan today, supporters of presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, held what they called a national day of protest. They came out to echo Abdullah's charges that last Saturday's presidential run-off vote was rigged against him. Abdullah has since declared that Afghanistan's two electoral commissions are illegitimate and that he will not respect the results that are due early next month.Sat, 21 Jun 2014 22:19:00 +0000Sean Carberry57719 at http://wrvo.orgBefore Votes Are Fully Counted, Fraud Claims Roil Afghan Electionhttp://wrvo.org/post/votes-are-fully-counted-fraud-claims-roil-afghan-election
It was not long before the legitimacy of Afghanistan's presidential election was called into question. Within hours of polls' close, candidate Abdullah Abdullah claimed the vote was rigged in favor of his opponent, Ashraf Ghani. Abdullah has suspended his cooperation with elections commissions and called for a halt to vote counting. His claims of fraud — engineered by former President Hamid Karzai, he says — set the stage for an impending political crisis. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR.Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:12:00 +0000Sean Carberry57615 at http://wrvo.orgAfghan Voters Defy Taliban Threat; Vote In Presidential Runoffhttp://wrvo.org/post/afghan-voters-defy-taliban-threat-vote-presidential-runoff
Afghans went to the polls on Saturday to vote for a successor to Hamid Karzai who's ruled since 2001. Former foreign minister Adbullah Abdullah faced off against former finance minister Ashraf Ghani.Mon, 16 Jun 2014 10:52:00 +0000Sean Carberry57383 at http://wrvo.orgIn A First, Afghanistan Is Set To Change Leaders At The Ballot Box http://wrvo.org/post/first-afghanistan-set-change-leaders-ballot-box
Afghanistan is about to get a new leader for the first time since the Taliban were driven out in 2001 and replaced by the current president, Hamid Karzai.<p>Saturday's presidential runoff will be a historic event in Afghanistan, marking the first time in the country's long and often painful history that power has changed hands through the ballot box.<p>Karzai is barred from running again, and the only two names on the ballot will be Abdullah Abdullah, an ophthalmologist and former foreign minister, and Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister and World Bank official.<p>The official campaign perFri, 13 Jun 2014 14:33:00 +0000Sean Carberry57278 at http://wrvo.orgIn A First, Afghanistan Is Set To Change Leaders At The Ballot Box Initial Afghan Elections Went Well, But Worries Rise For Round Twohttp://wrvo.org/post/initial-afghan-elections-went-well-worries-rise-round-two
Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>In Afghanistan, campaigning is underway for that country's presidential runoff election. Two candidates are competing to succeed President Hamid Karzai. And the vote is set for June 14. The first round was largely considered a success - with less violence and fraud than expected. And voter turnout exceeded expectations.Thu, 29 May 2014 20:27:00 +0000Sean Carberry56547 at http://wrvo.orgIn Afghan Spring, Violence Rises — But So Do Recruiting Numbershttp://wrvo.org/post/afghan-spring-violence-rises-so-do-recruiting-numbers
Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>Last year, for the first time, Afghan forces took charge of their country's security. They generally held their ground but suffered record casualties. Despite that, NPR's Sean Carberry reports plenty of men are lining up to join the army.<p>(SOUNDBITE OF TRAFFIC)<p>SEAN CARBERRY, BYLINE: For many young Afghans, the process begins here, at the gate outside a recruiting center like this one in the Darul Aman section of Kabul.Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:00:00 +0000Sean Carberry55080 at http://wrvo.orgBritish Marine's New Mission: Save All Of Kabul's Street Animals http://wrvo.org/post/british-marines-new-mission-save-all-kabuls-street-animals
Joey's silky gold hair gleams in the afternoon sun. The big bundle of energy loves to cuddle. He also looks like he could lose a few pounds.<p>This herding dog is one of the many survival stories here at the Kabul shelter and clinic called <a href="http://www.nowzad.com/" target="_blank">Nowzad Dogs</a>.Tue, 22 Apr 2014 07:27:00 +0000Sean Carberry54622 at http://wrvo.orgBritish Marine's New Mission: Save All Of Kabul's Street Animals Afghans Vote In Large Numbers Despite Riskshttp://wrvo.org/post/afghgans-vote-large-numbers-despite-risks
After a campaign marred by violence, Afghans voted Saturday in presidential elections for what's to be the first ever democratic transfer of power. Results are not expected for some time.Sat, 05 Apr 2014 11:42:00 +0000Sean Carberry53812 at http://wrvo.orgSuicide Bomber Targets Afghan Policehttp://wrvo.org/post/suicide-bomber-targets-afghan-police
In the Afghan capital Kabul, a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform walked up to a checkpoint outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry and killed several members of the national police.Wed, 02 Apr 2014 17:04:00 +0000Sean Carberry53650 at http://wrvo.org